Ice refrigerator with an air pump circuit



Dec. 2, 1947. HALL 2,432,011

ICE REFRIGEERATQR WITH AN AIR PUMP CIRCUIT Filed Nov. 14, 1945 Ill/125i. v11

Patented Dec. 2, 1947 TES PATENT OFFIQE ECE REFRIGERATOR WITHAN. AIR PUMP CIRCUIT 9 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a refrigerator or ice box.

More specifically, the present invention proposes the construction of a refrigerator characterized by having a cabinet with shelves and an ice shelf at the top, and thereabove a fan compartment for drawing air in at the top and forcing it downward. over the ice and through the box. where it may leave at the bottom through an opening.

A furtherobject is to provide a refrigerator as aforesaid in which the top. and bottom inlet and outlet openings are controlled by movable draft regulators.

Another object is to provide a refrigerator of the aforesaid type in which vents are also. provided in the. front door adjacent the ice shelf.

A further object is to provide a refrigerator of the aforesaid type having means for circulating the air in a partially continuous cycle within the cabinet.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference Will be had to the following decsription and accompanying-drawings, and to the appended claims. in which the variousnovel features of the" invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing formin a material part ofthis disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator constructed in accordance with, this invention, the door. being open and a cake of icebeing sup- Portedonthe ice shelf.

Fig. 2 is a section. on the line. 2-4! of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front view of a refrigerator constructed in accordance. with a modification of this invention.

Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig; 2, of a refrigerator constructed in accordance with. a further modification of this invention.

The refrigeratoror icebox; according to this invention, comprises a cabinet lfistanding on four legs H. The cabinet has a to wall l2; a perforated bottom wall l3, side walls Ill, a rear wall I Sand 9. front door l6. The door. has hinges H and-alatch l8.

The top wall of the refrigerator has an opening l9 over which. is secured a casing 2d having a top wall 2|, side walls 22, a rearwall 23 and a front wall 24. An electric fan25 depends from the top wall 21! centrall of the opening l9. Adjustable shutters 26 are disposed in holes 2'! in they walls 22-. Mounted in the front wa l 2 is an electric regulator 28 for; controlling the motor.

speed, by variable resiston The. side walls M. of

the cabinet have openings 29 at their bottom covered by hinged flaps 30' having end walls 3| which are slidably disposedin slots 32 in the side walls. A plunger 317 is provided for closing or opening the flap 36; The lower end of plunger 30* is formed with rack teeth 36* meshing with pinion 35. This pinion also meshes with a sector gear 38 fixed on the axle 30 of the hinged flap 30.

The electric fan pulls air in through the shutter 26 and the air leaves the cabinet through the holes 29. The flow of air can be controlled by means of the shutters 26 and flaps 317 Also the fan will be a conventional variable speed fan so that its pumping action may be adjusted.

Inside thev cabinet is a rack including side walls 33 parallel to and spaced from walls l4. Three shelves 34 are supported by the side walls. The top shelf has a border 35 and is adapted to support a cake of ice 36'. A pipe 3'! extends from the ice shelf through the other shelves and through the bottom of the ice box for draining off the water formed: by the melting of the ice.

The operation of the ice box is as follows:

The fan is turned on after a cake of ice has been inserted in the box and it draws in air through the shutters 26, forces it downwardly over the cake of iceand downwardly through the passages formed by the spaces between the walls M and 33m the openings 29. The flow can be regulated by means of the shutters 2.6, the flaps 3!] and the speed of the fan. If desired, at times, the fan may be turned off; Also the shuttersand flaps may be closed, or any desired arrangement of the shutters, flaps and fan may be effected tcobtain the desired condition,

The fan, by drawing in, fresh air, keeps the ice box well ventilated and. thus keeps the food fresh and untainted by ice box odors. Also the flow of cool. air from the ice box into. the room containing it; which is usually the kitchen, helps to. keep the kitchen coolv and comfortable. In winter, when. it is cold, the openings may be closed toprevent; air from escaping from the ice box. In summer; when a great. deal of. air passes through. the box, the openings may be opened. When; the shutters and flaps are both closed; the perforations in the bottom wall l3. permit anniform escape ofa: limited amount of air. The amount of flap. opening ma be controlled by moving the plunger 30% The opening 29 may be completely shut by moving the plunger 38 upwardly until the flapv 33 closes the opening 29;

The refrigerator of Fig, 3.15 identical with the refrigerator of. Fig; 1. except that it has a hole 38; in the door. It".v Shutters 3.9. in the. hole. 3Q

are controlled by a knob 49. Other parts of this refrigerator corresponding to like parts of the refrigerator of Fig. 1 are indicated by like references with an accent added.

The refrigerator shown in Fig. 4 includes a modified form of the invention. Upon the legs or feet II" the bottom wall I3 is supported, and from this bottom wall the inner vertical wall 33" rises. The wall I3" is extended outwardly of the vertical inner wall 33", but the air discharge openings |3 of this bottom wall are confined to the area bounded by the vertical wall 33". An outer wall 4| rises vertically from the bottom wall l3" and is provided on its upper end with a horizontal Wall 44, from which rises the vertical wall 45, having openings in which the shutters 41 are disposed. The vertical wall 45 is provided with a top horizontal wall 48, on which the fan 25" is supported.

An intermediate vertical wall I4" is disposed between the inner vertical wall 33" and the outer vertical wall 4|, in spaced relation to both of said walls 33" and 4|, to provide the inner vertical passage l5" between the inner wall 33" and said intermediate wall I4" and an outer vertical passage l5" between said outer vertical wall 4| and the intermediate vertical wall l4".

Air is drawn through the shutter controlled openings in the vertical wall 45 to the central air well 25 of the fan chamber, and flows downwardly over the ice through the passage I9, through the inner vertical passage I5", and thence through the lateral passages M of the intermediate wall I4", to the outer vertical passage l5 to the outer and upper passage 22, between the inner vertical wall 22" and the outer vertical top wall 45, and out through the shutter controlled openings, in part, and in part back over the ice. A drainage pipe 31 is provided for ice water.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. An ice box comprising a cabinet having a top wall, a bottom wall, side walls, a rear wall and a front door, said top wall having a hole and said side walls having holes adjacent their bottom, a casing over said top wall hole having side walls, a top wall, a rear wall and a front wall, said casing side walls having holes, a fan in said casing, shutters in said casing side wall holes, a flap over said cabinet side wall holes, and a rack in said cabinet having side walls spaced from said cabinet side walls and forming therewith passages for the fiow of air to said side wall holes, said rack further having a top ice shelf and therebelow food shelves.

2. An ice box comprising a cabinet having a top wall, a bottom wall, side walls, a rear wall and a front door, said top wall having a hole and said side walls having holes adjacent their bottom, a casing over said top wall hole having side walls, a top wall, a rear wall and a front wall, said casing side walls having holes, a fan in said casing, shutters in said casing side wall holes, a flap over said cabinet side wall holes, and a rack in said cabinet having side walls spaced from said cabinet side walls and forming therewith passages for the flow of air to said side wall holes, said rack further having a top ice shelf and therebelow food shelves and a pipe extending from said ice shelf through said other shelves and said cabinet bottom wall.

3. An ice box comprising a cabinet having a top wall, a bottom wall, side walls, a rear wall and a front door, said top wall having a hole and said side walls having holes adjacent their bottom, a casing over said top wall hole having side walls, a top wall, a rear wall and a front wall, said casing side walls having holes, a fan in said casing, shutters in said casing side wall holes, a flap over said cabinet side wall holes, and a rack in said cabinet having side walls spaced from said cabinet side walls and forming therewith passages for the flow of air to said side wall holes, said rack further having a top ice shelf and therebelow food shelves and perforations in said cabinet bottom wall for permitting escape of air.

4. An ice box comprising a cabinet having a top wall, a bottom wall, side walls, a rear wall and a front door, said top wall having a hole and said side walls having holes adjacent their bottom, a casing over said top wall hole having side walls, a top wall, a rear wall and a front wall, said casing side walls having holes, a fan in said casing, shutters in said casing side wall holes, a flap over said cabinet side wall holes, and a rack in said cabinet having side walls spaced from said cabinet side walls and forming therewith passages for the flow of air to said side wall holes, said rack further having a top ice shelf and therebelow food shelves and means for adjusting said flap for controlling the flow of air, said means including a vertical, slidable plunger, rack teeth at the bottom of said plunger meshing with a pinion, said pinion being also in mesh with a section gear connected to the axle of the said flap.

5. An ice box comprising a cabinet having a top wall, a bottom wall, side walls, a rear wall and a front door, said top wall having a hole and said side walls having holes adjacent their bottom, a casing over said top wall hole having side walls, a top wall, a rear wall and a front wall, said casing side walls having holes, a fan in said casing, shutters in said casing side wall holes, a flap over said cabinet side wall holes, and a rack in said cabinet having side walls spaced from said cabinet side walls and forming therewith passages for the flow of air to said side wall holes, said rack further having a top ice shelf and therebelow food shelves, said shutters and flap being adjustable and said fan having different speeds for controlling the flow of air.

6. An ice box comprising a cabinet having a top wall, a bottom wall, side walls, a rear wall and a front door, said top wall having a hole and said side walls having holes adjacent their bottom, a casin over said top wall hole having side walls, a top wall, a rear wall and a front wall, said casing side walls having holes, a fan in said casing, shutters in said casing side wall holes, a flap over said cabinet side wall holes, and a rack in said cabinet having side walls spaced from said cabinet side walls and forming therewith passages for the flow of air to said side Wall holes, said rack further having a top ice shelf and therebelow food shelves.

7. An ice box comprising a cabinet having a top wall, a bottom wall, side walls, a rear wall and a front door, said top wall having a hole and said side walls having holes adjacent their bottom, a casing over said top wall hole having side walls, a top wall, a, rear Wall and a front wall, said casing side walls having holes, a fan in said casing, shutters in said casing side wall holes, a flap over said cabinet side wall holes, and a rack in said cabinet having side walls spaced from said cabinet side walls and forming therewith passages for the flow of air to said side wall holes, said rack further having a top ice shelf and therebelow food shelves, said door having a hole and adjustable shutters in said hole.

8. An ice box comprising a cabinet having a top wall, a bottom wall, side walls, a rear wall and a front door, said top wall having a hole and said side walls having holes adjacent their bottom, a casing over said top wall hole having side walls, a top wall, a rear wall and a front wall, said casing side walls having holes, a fan in said casing, a rack in said cabinet having side walls spaced from said cabinet side walls and forming therewith passages for the flow of air to said side wall holes, said rack further having a top ice shelf and therebelow food shelves, and a wall parallel to each side wall of said cabinet and casing and spaced therefrom forming other passages, said last mentioned walls each having an opening adjacent said casing openings, and adjustable shutters in said last mentioned wall openings whereby said fan will suck air in through said shutters into said casing, force it over said ice to said openings in said cabinet side walls and therefrom back to said casing openings.

9. An ice box comprising a cabinet having a top wall, a bottom wall, side walls, a rear wall and a front door, said top wall having a hole and said side walls having holes adjacent their bottom, a casing over said top wall hole having side walls, a top wall, a rear wall and a front wall, said casing side walls having holes, a fan in said casing, a rack in said cabinet having side walls spaced from said cabinet side walls and forming therewith passages for the flow of air to said side wall holes, said rack further having a top ice shelf and therebelow food shelves, and a wall parallel to each side wall of said cabinet and casing and spaced therefrom forming other passages, said last mentioned walls each having an opening adjacent said casing openings, and adjustable shutters in said last mentioned wall openings whereby said fan will suck air in through said shutters into said casing, force it over said ice to said openings in said cabinet side walls and therefrom back to said casing openings, said cabinet bottom wall being perforated providing the only air outlet of said ice box.

JOHN M. HALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Van Dyke Dec. 20, 1924 

